Climate Change Bible

by Bethany Stottson April 24, 2008

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While some global warming skeptics may have accused climate change believers
of placing undue “faith” in murky science, some professors have already elevated
the cause to a Christian edict. In his recent column “The Ultimate Ethical
Issue?,” Professor David P. Gushee casts combatting climate change as
Christianity’s ultimate moral test—and dismisses family values and
constitutionality in the process.

“The data is in: Human beings are indeed culpable [for climate change],”
comments the Mercer University Theology Professor. His article appears in
PRISM, a publication of the progressive Evangelicals for Social
Action (ESA). He points to the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) report as proof that we face violent hurricanes, drought and
famine, coastal sea rise, and other existential threats that will soon wipe
humans off the earth.

And what should America do about this impending disaster? Implement
cap-and-trade, of course. Gushee writes, “Specifically, the U.S.—along with the
rest of the world—must implement a cap on carbon emissions within the next two
years.” After that, the world “must” eliminate “carbon-emitting technologies” by
mid-century.

Professor Gushee does not mention any technology by which to implement this
policy, nor does he address the economic implications of the policies he
advocates.

Conversely, the bill could increase Congressional revenues by $1.19
trillion between 2009 and 2018, $308 billion of which would be collected by
2013. These funds, collected from American businesses (read, manufacturing),
will most likely be passed on as higher costs to American consumers.

The cost of such legislation doesn’t seem to concern Professor Gushee, who
argues, “Because human well-being is at stake, even human survival, those
looking to affect politics must now say that this is the ultimate moral values
issue.” In other words, climate change trumps EVERYTHING.

The ESA would likely take a similar perspective on climate change costs.
Their 1973 founding document, the Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social
Concern, states

“We must attack the materialism of our culture and the maldistribution
of the nation’s wealth and services…Before God and a billion hungry neighbors,
we must rethink our values regarding our present standard of living and promote
a more just acquisition and distribution of the world’s resources” (emphasis
added).

Those who don’t believe as he does should change their views, or at least
stop hindering progress, Professor Gushee argues in his article. He writes,

“I suggest that any Christian theology/ethic that believes human beings are
too puny to affect the planet’s ecosystem, that God will not let anything bad
happen to us, that anything that happens (good or evil) is the result of God’s
direct will and purpose, that social ethics and morality are unimportant , that
gay marriage and judicial activism are the key values issues in 2008, or that
nothing must be done to hinder or regulate the free market is part of the
problem, not part of the solution, and needs to change before it is too
late” (emphasis added).

In other words, the Theology Professor believes Christians are “problematic”
and recalcitrant if they

believe in predestination;

don’t believe in global warming;

aren’t radical environmentalists;

adopt free market values;

oppose
government regulation;

value heterosexual marriage or constitutionality
over global warming;

pick political candidates that he doesn’t agree
with.

Bethany Stotts

Bethany Stotts is a freelance writer and a featured writer for Accuracy in Media.